Local firms don’t leap on notion of health data jobs Consultant says market niche promises new jobs; local leaders are skeptical

Clark County’s health care sector has been one of the region’s solid job generators despite the gloomy economy.

But if the county wants to be a leader in the next wave of health care innovation — and to snag the jobs that go with it — it needs to become a hub of "health information management," according to the draft Clark County Economic Development Plan produced by Austin, Texas-based consulting firm TIP Strategies Inc. The plan — commissioned by the Columbia River Economic Development Council for $80,000 — recommends the county develop a niche industry in which tech-minded people develop portable electronic medical records, produce security systems to protect them from cyber-thieves and otherwise advance the role of information technology in health care.

By Aaron Corvin
Columbian Staff Reporter

Full Story: http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jul/04/firms-dont-leap-on-health-data-notion/